Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Mena

If the situation wasn’t that perve wrecking, I would’ve laughed for myself for the way I was cleaning my face at the dressing table I had hijacked. I wasn’t even that big on skincare, but if Alessio somehow did happen to enter the room. I had to look like I was doing something interesting

By now it was almost midnight, Alessio had been back for hours, but I hadn’t seen him yet. Unless that man was secretly a vampire, I knew he would want to sleep at one point, and knew he could walk in at any second.

For the past few days, I had been living in anxiety, slowly waiting for everything to crumble into chaos.

The sound of the door finally opening didn’t help that much either. It was Alessio.

He walked in, and our eyes locked for a moment before I quickly looked away. I heard him let out chuckle, and soon after he had already disappeared to the bathroom.

As the water was running, I moved myself to the bed and sat there like a zombie, wondering what would be the best to say when he would walk out. Any normal human would’ve said something along the lines of, “Hey, how was your day‘ but I wasn’t normal and neither was he.

I also didn’t want to stay quiet because I didn’t want to be rude, and for him to despise me even more.

Before I could figure out whatever the hell I was going to do, Alessio had already walked out with a towel wrapped around his shoulders. His hair was wet, and so were the drops on his sculptured abs I wasn’t even supposed to be looking at

He was wearing the dangerous gray sweatpants that could make a girl like me jump up and down like an hungry hyena, but this wasn’t my man- and he was terrifying as , so I held myself back.

“So, how do you want to do this?” he asked, casually, making my head snap up to meet his eyes.

Do what I responded, genuinely confused.

“The sleeping arrangements? How about you take the floor, and I take the bed!”

“A–Ah, r–right, sorry!” 1 stood up, apologizing for being an idiot. Of course, he wouldn’t want to share his bed with me. That w

I scanned the floor, looking for the most comfortable spot, but then the sound of his chuckle made me look up again.

“You know I wasn’t serious, right? He frowned his brows, almost looking worried.

“Huh?”

“Take the bed. I’ll take the sofa,” he said, shaking his head as if I were the most ridiculous person he’d ever met.

I would be weird

“I can take the sofa!” I spoke. “Or the floor or even the bathroom floor, I guess. I snore sometimes, can’t really help it, I rambled, feeling more embarrassed by the second.

Alessio took a frustrated breath, “You’re insufferable.”

His comment hit me hard, reminding me of Mom’s exact words to describe me.

Maybe she was right about me. Maybe I was insufferable, but I was only trying to be a good person. Perhaps a good person who didn’t want to get killed, and tried to stay on the good side of the person who threatened to kill me.

I settled myself on the bed. “You good sleeping with the lights off?” Alessio asked.

“Yeah, I don’t mind,” I replied, slightly thrown off by his concern.

Once the lights were off, I tried to say goodnight, but my voice just wasn’t working. It was like the lord itself forced me not to speak with him unless spoken to, and maybe it was for the best.

I couldn’t help but wonder what he had been up to while he was away. Whatever it was, I knew it had to be illegal, and whatever it was, I hoped it wasn’t finished, so he could leave again soon. The tension was too thick, our interactions were too uniutural and uncomfortable.

No wonder he wasn’t trying to walk around with the in public. Anyone could see that whatever we had going on, was fake.

1 already hated him for bringing me into this situation, then I hated him a little less for being my way out with the Anson thing, then I hated him at a full again for saying I didn’t have a personality.

12:03 PM

Chapter 20

Now I feared him as I closed my eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.

With each second I drifted off to sleep. I hoped for him not to get tired of me or choke me.

The next morning, I was awakened by a gentle shake. I blinked my eyes open, seeing Naty standing beside the bed.

The first th

great

thing I did was glance around to look for Alessio, but he was no longer on the sofa. He wasn’t there, and I was still breathing. So far so

“Mommy, you have to wake up and eat breakfast with us.” Naty shook my body with her two tiny hands.

“Says who?” I asked, rubbing my eyes. It suddenly kicked in that she didn’t have school today.

“The nice lady who told me to call her grandma,” Naty’s eyes glowed with excitement. As far as I was concerned, she had two grandmas who were still in denial about having a granddaughter.

“Grandma I frowned, confused.

“Yes, Grandma Giulia Naty clarified. Alessio’s mom?

sat up straight, suddenly wide awake. This was the first time since I’d been here that Giulia Fanucci had asked for me, and I didn’t want to risk getting on her bad side.

“Tell… Grandma Giulia I’ll be right out,” I instructed Naty. Calling some random woman her grandma felt wrong, but I was afraid I didn’t have that much of a choice.

“We’re waiting for you in the backyard!” Naty announced, running out of the room.

I freshened up by taking a quick shower, and making myself look as presentable as possible.

Then I headed to the backyard in a hurry, not wanting to make the Lady of the house wait more than was necessary.

“Mommy, you’re here!” Naty called out to me from a distance. She was sitting at the table with Melody and Giulia, who had immediately stood up. waving her hand for me to come over.

“Finally!” Giulia smiled as I stepped closer. Tve been dying to talk to you!”